There Will Be Another Halloween at the Magic Castle(But it Will NOT be Called Inferno Week Again)Thanks to the approximate 120 men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department who responded, the firedesignated a greater alarm fire (I guess that means 120 firefighters and a BUNCH of fire trucks and engines)that occurred in our beloved clubhouse, was knocked down quickly. First and foremost, no onestaff or first responderswere hurt. Thanks to their quick and aggressive response (as described by the Fire Chief), the 103-year-old building experienced a minimum of fire, smoke, and other damage to the roof and the attic area (compared to what could have happened).

Other areas experienced smoke and water damage. The Dante Roomone of the dining roomswas named as one of the public areas damaged by water. The Thomas Glover Annex, which includes the Palace of Mystery, the Parlour of Prestidigitation, the Palace Bar, The Inner Circle, The Peller Theater, the WC Fields Bar, and the Academy Library were unaffected.

Needless to say, the Castle will be closed until the damage can be fully assessed and repaired. The Board of Directors hope is that the club will be open by the first weekend of November. As of this writing, the cause is unreported. Im sure that updates will be posted here or the other thread about the fire.

You Wont See This Every DayDuring the week of November 1 in the Palace of Mystery, Milt Larsen was scheduled to debut his new act (a name and a phrase I never thought would collide in the same sentence). The Castle co-founders new act is guaranteed to do for cuisine what his previous act did for carpentry. (So the question is; will we want to eat before or be able to eat after?!?) Well see if Milt changes his schedule, but knowing him, his hammer will be busy all week fixing stuff.

Beverly Hills or BustAs promised last month, Max Maven, the producer for the AMA Awards Show, has announced the new venue: The beautiful (and historic) Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills (http://www.sabantheatre.org/ ). Max is correct: We are delighted! He has also announced a lowering of the ticket prices for the April 1, 2012 event. (And again, it is NOT an April Fools Joke!) A childhood photo clue of the MC is also in the November newsletter. Its pretty obvious who it is, but heres a clue: It appears that he also got his grandfathers hand-me-downs.

Never MoreTwiceFans of Edgar Allan Poe will want to check out the Night of the Raven on Sunday, November 6 in the Inner Circle. There will be two performances: 7 and 9:30 PM. This free show (though donations to the Castle Library Fund will be welcome) will feature musicians, variety performers, and close with Micah Cover escaping from a straightjacket while recitingwhat else?The Raven.

No, Not the Cigarette Guy; The Bigfoot GuyPhillip Morris will make an appearance at the Magic Castle on November 15 at 8:00 PM in the Inner Circle where he will talk about his involvement with the famous Patterson/Gimlin Bigfoot Film. Heres a clue: Mr. Morris has run Morris Costumes for many decades.

And in the Center RingActually in the Palace of Mystery. The week of November 14 marks a week-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of Mark Wilsons Magic Circus television specials. On November 17, at 6:30 PM, there will be a special Castle Perk featuring Mark Wilson, Nani Darnell, Greg Wilson, and several others involved in that landmark series of specials. This event will be in the Palace and is free to members.

And the Ringmaster(s)On November 20, Mark and Nani will expose even more of the inside story of The Magic Circus. They will also be screening clips from the shows (including appearances by Dai Vernon, Jay Marshall, and Shimada). This special event starts at 3:30 in the Palace of Mystery.

I Dont Believe itYes, its true: The one and only Max Maven will be interviewing the one and only James Randi on November 28 at 8:00 PM in the Inner Circle. This is a free event for members (and I predict an SRO crowdso I wonder if Ill qualify for the million bucks!).

Its Not December Yet, ButSanta Claus (and the Mrs. with cookies and milk!) will be coming to the Castle on the afternoon of December 3 (from 11 AM to 3 PM). Make plans to bring your kids and/or grandkids to see the Jolly One now!

Holiday HubbubDont forget that the Castle will be closed on Thanksgiving (November 24). And also remember that the holidays are a busy time for the Magic Castle, so make your plansand reservationsearly. And dont forget that the Castle is a terrific place for that office holiday party (I recommend Friday Lunch as well)! For large parties, be sure to call the Events Manager at 323-851-3313, extension 300.

Current Performers Schedule: http://www.magiccastle.com/schedule/(Nonmembers have a look at the free to members lecture schedule at the bottom of the page to see what you are missing.)

Milt and Erika Larsen report that the repairs at the Castle are progressing well. There is still no date set for reopening, but the reports are positive. The restoration crew that was dispatched by the Castle's insurance carrier is working around the clock dealing with the water damage. (And Erika spent over 24 hours at the Castle working before finally taking the rest of the day off!)

The Magic Castle is hoping to have a soft reopening this coming weekend. The Lane Mansion proper will remain closed, but the Thomas Glover Annex, so therefore the Palace, Parlour, Peller Theater, WC Fields Bar, Palace Bar, the Inner Circle, and (YES!) the William Larsen, Sr. Libray will be open to members-plus one guest only. Please call ahead of time to make sure capacity has not been reached. The dress code will be in effect. (NOTE! This is a tentative opening subject to approval by city authorities. Stay tuned for updates!)

David Minkin, who (in case you don't already know) is a wonderful Close-Up entertainer, will be donating 100% of the profits of his November 27 performance at Rosenthal Malibu Estate Vineyards (which will be donating the wine!) to the Magic Castles Inferno Fund. Look for show details at http://www.MagicandWine.com/ . (The site is down at this time, but check back in; hopefully it will be back up.)

The Academy of Magical Arts is delighted to announce that the Magic Castle will re-open (some of) its doors Friday night, November 4th. This "soft opening" will feature our Parlour showroom, special (un-ticketed, first-come-first-served) shows in the Palace of Mystery, and closeup magic in the Peller Theatre.

The Castle will be open on a "member +1" basis; only members (with valid membership card in hand) will be admitted with a single guest. No unescorted "guest pass" guests will be admitted.

Our normal dress code will be in effect.

Our regular valet service will be available. Members will check in at the front desk in the Castle lobby, where they may purchase tickets ($20, which includes tax) to a buffet offered from 6:00 to 10:00. Once they check in, they will enter the Glover Annex through the Inner Circle entrance, where they may enjoy access to all the theaters and bars throughout the Annex.

Donations for our "Inferno Fund" will be accepted at the front desk and throughout the Annex as well.

These next few nights will be some of the most exciting in Magic Castle history. They'll also be some of the most challenging, though, so we ask your patience and your help in sharing in this unforgettable experience.

The Academy of Magical Arts is delighted to announce that the Magic Castle will re-open (some of) its doors Friday night, November 4th. This "soft opening" will feature our Parlour showroom, special (unticketed, first-come-first-served) shows in the Palace of Mystery, and closeup magic in the Peller Theatre.

The Castle will be open on a "member +1" basis; only members (with valid membership card in hand) will be admitted with a single guest. No unescorted "guest pass" guests will be admitted.

Our normal dress code will be in effect.

Our regular valet service will be available. Members will check in at the front desk in the Castle lobby, where they may purchase tickets ($20, which includes tax) to a buffet offered from 6:00 to 10:00. Once they check in, they will enter the Glover Annex through the Inner Circle entrance, where they may enjoy access to all the theatres and bars throughout the Annex.

Donations for our "Inferno Fund" will be accepted at the front desk and throughout the Annex as well.

These next few nights will be some of the most exciting in Magic Castle history. They'll also be some of the most challenging, though, so we ask your patience and your help in sharing in this unforgettable experience.

The Academy of Magical Arts is excited to announce that the Magic Castle has re-opened (some of) its doors. This "soft opening" features our Parlour showroom, special (unticketed, first-come-first-served) shows in the Palace of Mystery, and closeup magic in the Peller Theatre.

The Castle is open on a "member +1" basis; only members (with valid membership card in hand) will be admitted with a single guest. No unescorted "guest pass" guests will be admitted.

Our normal dress code will be in effect.

Our regular valet service is available. Members should check in at the front desk in the Castle lobby, where they may purchase tickets ($20, which includes tax) to a buffet offered from 6:00 to 10:00. Once checked in, they will enter the Glover Annex through the Inner Circle entrance, where they will enjoy access to all the theatres and bars throughout the Annex.

Donations for our "Inferno Fund" will be accepted at the front desk and throughout the Annex as well.

These next few nights will be some of the most exciting in Magic Castle history. They'll also be some of the most challenging, though, so we ask your patience and your help in sharing in this unforgettable experience.

Some additional news, the lecture by BJ Hickman will be held on Sunday as scheduled as well as the School for Scoundrels by Whit Haydn and Chef Anton.

The Castle will be open under the same restrictions on Saturday and Sunday nights as well.

Sorry Kirk.. Didn't intend to be redundant. Was in the process of editing my chat with Milt, Irene, Erika and West ( http://bit.ly/CastleFireside ) when I got that email so threw it out there without looking.

Starting this evening (Monday), the Castle is honoring guest cards again, and members are no longer limited to the number of guests (but Id still recommend calling ahead). Guests will be made awareif they are not alreadyof the special circumstances to their visit. The door charge has been reduced for the duration of the restoration. And though the dining rooms are closed, there is the buffet.

Sunday Brunch will start up again this coming Sunday (Saturdays are still canceled for now).

The William Larsen, Sr. Library will be open to members every night this week! (Thanks Bill!)

Reminder! This Saturday, December 3, Santa Claus will be at the Magic Castle taking orders for his elves to fill. There will also be Santas Workshop (no mention whether or not Milt will be allowed anywhere near it), face-painting, cookies and milk, games, and more. The event is free to members and their guests. It begins at 11:00 AM and runs through 2 PM.

Phillip Morris managed to bore the crap out of everyone at the History Conference with 90 minutes of self-referential babbling and video clips. To answer your question, yes, he did supply the costume, he described how it was modified, and show video clips of the guy who wore it fessing up. LIKE ANYONE THOUGH IT WAS REAL IN THE FIRST PLACE! Jeez people are stupid.

Richard, there are people who STILL think it's real even with all the evidence to the contrary.

The question is about Phil Morris's talk at the Castle, and I was not there and have not heard anything about it.

As for the Conference, I don't think he was quite that bad (yes, it could have and should have been shorter), but there was that great momment when, at the end, Mike Caveney came out (fast) and said (without any pause), "Any questions I didn't think so."

Phillip Morris is a real showman who has lived several lifetimes of performing/creating. With it and for it.

Phillip has been giving talks across country, primarly about Bigfoot, where he is the only speaker, where they want to hear every detail to explain the hoax, that the true believers refuse to acknowledge...so he has presented it with every possible detail, so hopefully others WON'T question the evidence.
(Yes Richard, they are still out there, along with others who WANT to believe______whatever.)
His talk was long in comparison to a program that uses 3-4 speakers each session to normally fill a 90 minute session.
(What rehearsal/instructions for timing he received,I don't know.)

Afterwards we went out, and cut up jackpots, hearing more great stories of the road.

His presentation at The Castle was thorough, but shorter, faster, and well received because he was THE special guest that night that people came to hear.

The show in The Palace this week is great! The kind of show you want your invited guests to see.

The Steinmeyer presentation of Jarrett's sawing was well done and received.
Alex Ramon is a STAR! I was impressed before how he could connect with an audience in an arena with Ringling Brothers, but now he showed his ability to get over to the audience in the more intimate Palace venue.
His cards/fans got HIS audience...actually EXCITED to watch him!
Great skill and personality that the audience responded to.
A great combo worth seeing!